Men Are Tough Species To Work Out
by katesshadow
Summary: Angela see's the 'there's more than one type of family' interraction between B&B. No way she's gonna let that slide!


**Hey all, just kinda threw this together today. Really tired, so sorry if there are spelling mistakes! There may be a fun 2nd chapter added to this I think...**

Angela grabbed Brennan's arm and drew her away from everyone in the diner.

"Sweetie, what was that I just saw outside?" Angela asked in a hushed tone.

"What? Booth and I were talking." She said defensively. "Now we're missing the party for Zack." Brennan commented, with a bit of a pout.

"No, I meant the bit where he lifted your face with his finger under your chin _and left it there_, for a few minutes too long. Hodgie and I saw it hun. So...?" She looked at Bren expectantly.

"Look he was just being nice. He said, 'There's more than one type of family'." She said with a hurt look on her face. "Ange, can we talk about this later? This is Zack's party, we need to celebrate with him!"

Brennan grabbed her champagne and said loudly, "Everyone, heres to our newest collegue - Dr Zack Addy!"

"And his new haircut." Hodgins said with a laugh.

"Don't think I'm gonna let that slide, Brennan. You, me, your place, tonight!" Angela whispered in Brennan's ear, as she strode past to stand with Hodgins.

"Soo, Bones, did I do that open hand thing on Zack's shoulder properly?" Booth said merrily, throwing his arm around Brennan's shoulders playfully.

"Yeah, thank you for doing that. He really does look up to you, you know. He sees you as an older male role model, in some aspects, I think." Brennan turned to face Booth. "You're a good man, Booth. Don't doubt that." Brennan said sincerely.

"Hey, you're not gonna go all sentimental on me now Bones, are ya?!" Booth said with a wink.

"You do it to me all the time! I was just trying to return the favour!" She protested slightly.

"Hey! I _do not_ get sentimental. I'm a tough, FBI agent type, it would ruin my reputation! Not to mention make me look like a complete wuss!" He retorted, half jokingly, half serious.

"Just before, you were getting sentimental, Booth. I saw it, well of course I did, I was out there with you. As did Angela and Hodgins. You can't deny the facts Booth!" Her expression was one of triumph.

"Wait, whoa, Angela _and_ Hodgins saw that? What did they see? How do you know they saw it?" He started to look panicked.

"They saw you tip my face up with your finger under my chin. Angela asked me what it was about, to which I said, that you were just being nice. Because you were. Well except for the whole sentimental bit. I told her you told me 'there was more than one type of family', which is where I left her and toasted Dr Addy! Speaking of which, we should get back to congratulating him. And eating, I'm starving!" Brennan started to walk off, when Booth grabbed her arm and spun her back to him.

"Hey! I always feel like you're abducting me! What now?" She said protesting to the sudden closure of personal space.

"You told _Angela_, ANGELA, what I said to you out there?" He said incredulously.

"Yeah, she's my bestfriend. And as I explained already, I told her, you were just being you. What's wrong with that?" She said with confusion tracing her features.

"Bones, it's Angela! I could say hi to you with a smile on my face and she'd think we were sleeping together!" He said sarcastically.

"But, you smile at me everytime you say hi." She said, still confused.

"Yeah, and she does think there's something between us! Bet she won't let it go, she wanna chat with you later?"

"Uh, yeah, she does. She's coming over tonight to discuss... things..."

"Oh God, give it, like, two seconds and the whole world is gonna know I'm a wuss! Oh and the whole "us" thing, she seems to think is happening." He said brushing his hand through his hair.

"What, "us" thing? We're partners and friends. That's all I know is going on between us. Oh and the fact that you keep letting me hug you, when I get scared. Oh! And the fact that you get all sentimental at times." She said with a giggle.

"Bones, you'll get whats coming to you." He said with a grin.

* * *

Temperance was in her apartment waiting for Angela to arrive. 

Since her chat with Booth about Angela's "ideas" on herself and Booth, she was a bit anxious about the night to come.

Since it was just Ange coming over, she was in her comfy clothes. Grey sweat pants and an oversized t-shirt.

A knock came from the door, startling Brennan out of her thoughts.

"Ok Ange, coming." I shouted.

"I hope you didn't bring any dinner, cos I am still stuffed from the diner..." I said as I opened the door to...?

"Booth?! What are you doing here? Ange is gonna be here any minute! You need to go unless you wanna fan the flames, with these "ideas" you think she has about the two of us, even more." I said pushing him out of my doorway, as he tried to step in.

"Maybe I'd like those flames fanned a bit, Bones." He winked at her. "No, but seriously, I just came to drop off a new case file for the morning."

"And it couldn't wait until the morning?! Booth, go home! I'm not working tonight!" I said with a final push at his chest, then shutting the door in his face. I heard him chuckle and walk off.

Whatever Angela thought, I didn't want Booth presence stirring things up anymore.

Then, I heard and excitedly high pitched voice say, "Booth! What are you doing here? Did you drop Bren home after the diner? What have you two been up to, huh?!" Of course, Angela had decided to turn up on time, for once.

"It's ok, Ange, I was just dropping a file off to Bones. Have a good night!" I heard Booth say cheerily.

Great...

"Brennan! Open this door right now!" Had Angela always been this pushy, I thought to myself.

"Hey, Angela." I said half-heartedly, knowing what was coming.

"So. Booth was here. How long for? Why? Are you two sleeping together yet?" She launched at me, beore the door had closed.

"Angela! I have to live here, I'd appreciate it, if my neighbours didn't hear about my personal life." I said defensively. Why was I being defensive?

"So he is part of your personal life then! Ha! I knew it! So when did all this happen? After you and Hodgie were buried? Was it totally romantic? I can see that in Booth, the whole sentimental, romantic..." She started gushing.

"No, Ange," I said interrupting, "We're not sleeping together, nothing is going on! It's just the same old Booth and I." I said with a sigh.

"What was that sigh! Temperance Brennan! You sighed! Does that mean you want more than "just the same old Booth and I", come on, spill!" Her eyes were bright with excitement.

They'd finally migrated to the couch, where Brennan said, "Ange, there's nothing going on, and nothing can ever happen, you know that. So why ask?"

"Uh, cos, maybe you two are meant to be together?! Everyone can see it, except you two. Or maybe you can and won't admit it to each other." She said, like she was stating a fact.

"Who's everyone? We're not meant "to be together", as you say. He's with Cam, if you haven't noticed. Booth and I are just good friends. We're partners, we're supposed to look out for each other, be each others family, as he puts it." I said hoping she would leave it. Of course I was wrong.

"That was the next point I was going to bring up. Booth said, "there's more than one type of family,' right? Honey, for a guy to say that, means he cares for you. More than just a friend. No guy has _ever_ said that to me, and I've been with a fair few guys in my time." She said matter of factly. "Also, everyone is all of us that see you two together. There's just something between you two. And, yes. Even Cam sees it. You should have been on the other side of the phone when you guys were in Vegas. We heard a zipper being done up, or down for that matter," She raised her eyebrow wickedly,"and then hearing Booth say "That's Hot", Cam's face totally dropped! She knows the thing with her and Booth is purely physical."

"He was doing my dress up at the back. We were dressing up as Roxy and Tony. Not much else to tell. And Booth, is just, Booth. He says those sort of things, because he cares for people. He wants to save everyone."

"No, honey, he wants to save you." Ange said seriously.

"I don't need saving, he knows that just as much as you do! I've lived on my own quite well for the past 10yrs, I don't need a protector, or someone to depend on." I said coldly.

"You may not need one, but he's taken it on as part of his role as your partner. You should have heard him earlier, when he found out you'd gone to see your Dad without him. He stormed out saying to Cam, 'No, she can't go anywhere without me, not when it's open season on Brennans'." Ange said trying to make her point clear. I knew what she was saying, but all, in all, it was just Booth. It's how our relationship was.

"Ange, I know what your saying is true, in most cases. But mine and Booth's relationship isn't normal. We have a respect for each other. We care for each other, but not in the sense you'd like us to. Maybe one day, but right now, it's just not us." I said, hoping to end the conversation.

"Bren, have you ever thought about trying to stop rationalising things in your head, and just falling in love?" She asked me quietly.

"Nothing is as simple as that Ange. Especially love. You can't just fall in love. Falling involves no control. Love requires controls and measures. It requires perserverance. Otherwise it's nothing more than an empty object sitting on a shelf, it looks good, but there's nothing in it." I said giving away more than I should have.

"Ok, well maybe we're not talking about love, so much. How about one night? Or even just taking your friendship deeper?"

"How do I do that, Ange? He's seen all parts of me, well emotionally anyway. There's nothing left for me to give." I said looking at my lap. My hands decided to start picking fluff off a pillow.

"Sweetie, you don't have to do anything, but be there for him. Underneath that macho FBI type exterior, is a guy that needs love, just like you. And I don't just mean romantic love. Friends can love each other just as much. If not more. He will need someone to be there for him, when he needs to talk about his past, or Parker, or whatever. He feels a lot more than people know, I think."

I couldn't help but smile, "Yeah, he's the soft, sentimental type, don't you think?"

"Oh, for sure!" She said enthusiastically.

I laughed, thinking of Booth and my conversation earlier today at the diner.

"What's funny?" Ange asked with a frown. "He_ is_ a sentimental guy!" She said defending her favourite FBI guy.

"Yeah, I know he is, Ange. Which makes it funnier. We had a conversation at the diner about how you would think he was sentimental and all, since I told you how he said 'there's more than one type of family'. I was laughing again, "He doesn't want to lose his tough, FBI agent type look, as he calls it. Thinks it would ruin his reputation." I said, with a snort very close to escaping, I clasped my hand over my mouth.

Angela was now laughing too, "So, he's worried that we, _his squints_, are going to lose respect for him, because he's sentimental? Does he think we've only just figured it out?!"

"Who knows, Ange. Men are a tough species to work out at times." I said, with a grin, shaking my head.

**Yep 2nd chapter worthy I think! Thoughts?!**


End file.
